The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-06-04
Srecia1 Contributors.
"ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU ARE
RIGHT?"
BY REV. ]. MERRIFIELD.
(Plainfield, Ill.)

Universalists are often asked the ques-
tions, care you certain that you are
right ?' "May you not be mistaken,
after all ?" "And are you not incur
ring fearful risk in accepting and
proclaiming your doctrine p The in
telligent believer is amazed at the fire.
quency of these questions, and others
akin to these amazed to find men as
Stunning knowledge, and protesting re-
ligion, and in a sense gifted with under
standing, who are still so little given to
reflection as to think that policy, and
not principle, should govern us in the
pursuit, profession and practice of re-
ligion, and that truth can be found in a
pursuit that is dictated by policy.
Now, that every one should feel GER
tain that he is right, is strictly just;
and that we reasonably and kindly eau
tion one another to look we'll to the
matter of being in the right, is but
reciprocal duty. The caution, how
ever, is Just as much needed by others
as by Universalists. Those who believe
in the final reunion of all souls with the
infinite parent Soul, can with equal
propriety ask the believers in endless
sin and misery, for a part of mankind,
if they are sure that they are right in
thinking such awful things about God
and his creation-in holding to view
of the divine economy so savage, so
horrible, so unreasonable. To be in
the right is very important, because
this is the condition from which the
best things result. To be in the wrong
is very unfortunate and much to be
dreaded, because the worst things pro-
ceed from a wrong condition. To be in
the right is to be truly happy in spirit,
even though the world may be on the
other side, and though much strife and
pain may attend. To be in the wrong
is to be unhappy in spirit, though the
world may approve, and everything
outward be made easy.
But can one be sure that he is in the
right ? Are we able to so know the
truth that the truth shall make us free?
Among the many conflicting views of
truth that divide man from man, is it
possible to have a view, of which we
can say, 1--WE know it is right ?" Some
think this is not possible but if that
is the case what are we to dop How
are we to act ? Must we stand still,
and do nothing? This we cannot, be-
cause we are made for action. Shall
We believe nothing, through fear that
we may accept error ? This also is
impossible, for we are so made that we
have to believe something. We must,
from the very nature of our being, both
believe and act. But mems circum-
stances are so various the world over,
that many different beliefs necessarily
arise; and on an average, no doubt,
these all are held in equal sincerity, by
men in as many different conditions of
mind. Notwithstanding all this, there
must be a right faith for beings who
have to be guided by faith and the
question recurs. "How can we have
right faith, and how can each one of us
know that he is right in his belief ?"
How can the truth-loving and truth
seeking soul-Christian Jew, Moham-
medan, Hindoo or Pagan Catholic,
Protestant, Calvinist, Arminian, Uni
versalist, nationalist or what not
know that he is right, as he attempts
to satisfy his hunger for knowledge, his
longing for truth, and right, also in his
utteranees concerning knowledge and
truth The majority of religious teach
ers, of every class, throughout the world,
will tell him that he cannot be sure
that he is right, unless he stick to the
old ways-the ways prescribed shy
them Of old time"
But the counsel thus implied amounts
in substance only to just this-that one
must not ''go forward" at all, because
the teachings of the ancients embodied
in the formulas of the past, tell the
whole story for man in all time; and
nothing is right for any one to believe
and to do, but meekly to accept what
has thus been handed down to us, and
obey it. This counsel, however, tends
to no real faith, but only to conform
ity; and mere conformity is not free
dom, but slavery. Every one who is